GCSE Biology · Edexcel 1BI0 · Topic 5E
Non-communicable diseases
Key points
- Non-communicable diseases are not caused by pathogens and do not spread between people.
- Risk factors include poor diet, smoking, lack of exercise and too much alcohol (which can cause liver disease).
- Malnutrition (too little or too much of certain nutrients) can lead to deficiency diseases or obesity.
- . Waist-to-hip ratio is another measure of obesity.
- Cardiovascular disease treatments: lifestyle changes (cheap, no side effects, but slow), medication such as statins (effective but may have side effects), surgery such as stents or bypass (effective but risky).
- Data on disease rates shows correlation, which does not prove cause.
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Non-communicable diseases are not caused by pathogens and cannot be caught from someone else. They are now the main causes of death in many countries, and most are linked to several risk factors working together.
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